What do you think?
Rate this book
Celebrating the Birth of the Prophet
This book, which is a work of the late Muhaddith of Makkah, Sayyid Shaykh Muhammad Alawi al-Maliki, may Allah have mercy upon him, seeks to present the case for celebrating the birth of the Best of Creations, Sayyidna Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. What Will I Learn? The Proofs of the Permissibility of Celebrating the Birth of the Prophet; Learn what Shaykh Muhammad Alawi al-Maliki says about the five categories of innovation; Learn what some of Islam's scholarly giants have said about the Mawlid throughout history. New Additions in the Second Edition from Habib 'Umar bin Being with Allah and His Messenger; When the Month of Rabi al-Awwal Arrives; Dealing With Those Who Disagree With the Mawlid.
- GenresIslam
100 pages, Paperback
Published October 17, 2020
14 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
January 11, 2026
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ وَمَلَـٰٓئِكَتَهُۥ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى ٱلنَّبِىِّ ۚ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ صَلُّوا۟ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا۟ تَسْلِيمًا
(Sūrat al-Aḥzāb, 33:56)
Indeed Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet. O you who believe, send blessings upon him and salutations of peace.
This Qur’anic command is the foundation of Muslim devotional life. To remember the Prophet ﷺ, to speak of his life, to praise him, and to cultivate love for him is not a peripheral matter in Islam—it is a divine injunction. Celebrating the Birth of the Prophet is a profound and measured articulation of this truth.
This work is authored by Shaykh Muhammad al-ʿAlawī al-Mālikī, one of the greatest Sunni scholars of the twentieth century and a towering authority of the Sacred Law, hadith, and Prophetic devotion. A native of Mecca and heir to a distinguished scholarly lineage, Shaykh Muhammad al-ʿAlawī al-Mālikī occupied a unique station: deeply grounded in classical scholarship, yet acutely aware of modern polemics and the fractures within contemporary Muslim discourse. His voice in this book is calm, principled, and rooted in the inherited methodologies of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamāʿah.
This book is especially valuable for its balanced, evidence-based defense of what has traditionally been called the Mawlid—the communal remembrance of the life of the Prophet ﷺ, including his birth. Importantly, Shaykh al-Mālikī demonstrates that the substance of the Mawlid is not confined to a label. If the term itself troubles some, the practice may simply be understood as poetry commemorating the Prophet ﷺ, recitation of his sīrah, sending abundant ṣalawāt, and gathering in gratitude for the greatest blessing Allah bestowed upon creation. The essence, not the name, is what matters.
One of the book’s great strengths is its methodological clarity. Shaykh al-Mālikī carefully distinguishes between acts that are praiseworthy and rooted in established principles, and customary expressions of love that are permissible but not religiously obligatory. In doing so, he helps readers avoid both extremes: dismissing centuries of devotional practice outright, or attributing religious necessity to what is essentially custom.
A clear example is his discussion of standing out of respect during Mawlid gatherings. He explains that standing as an expression of love and reverence may be commendable, yet it must not be framed as a religious obligation. In this way, the book protects both devotion from excess and orthodoxy from rigidity—a balance that is increasingly rare.
The appendices further strengthen the work. Included are discussions and reflections from Ibn Taymiyyah, whose nuanced position on Mawlid is often selectively quoted but rarely presented in full, as well as contributions from Habīb ʿUmar bin Ḥafīẓ, whose words embody a living tradition of Prophetic love grounded in knowledge and spiritual refinement. These additions demonstrate that honoring the Prophet ﷺ through remembrance and celebration is not a marginal opinion, but one deeply embedded within the Sunni scholarly continuum.
On a personal note, as a Muslim of more than three decades, I find this book to be a deeply rejuvenating meditation. Mawlid gatherings—whether held on the 12th of Rabīʿ al-Awwal or at any time of the year—are not about historical certainty of a date. They are about never forgetting the Prophet ﷺ for an instant. Muslims agree by consensus that he ﷺ is the best of creation, the most beloved of Allah, and the greatest gift ever given to humanity.
At its heart, the Mawlid is art, beauty, and love—an artistic and devotional language through which communities transmit reverence, strengthen bonds between believers, and cultivate mercy among themselves. Shaykh al-Mālikī shows that such gatherings, when conducted with sound intention and knowledge, are among the most effective ways to bring Muslim communities—especially in the West—back to spiritual vitality.
This book does not coerce, condemn, or inflame. Instead, it invites reflection, understanding, and humility. For those who already participate in Mawlid, it provides clarity and grounding. For those who hesitate, it offers evidence without polemics. And for anyone who loves the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, it is a reminder that sending blessings upon him is not merely permitted—it is commanded.
May Allah grant us tawfīq to increase in love of His Beloved ﷺ, to spread mercy within our communities, and to honor the Messenger in ways that illuminate hearts rather than divide them.
اللهم صلِّ وسلِّم وبارك على سيدنا محمد
ابن عبد الله
ابن عبد المطلب
ابن هاشم
ابن عبد مناف
ابن قصي
ابن الحكيم
ابن مُرّة
ابن كعب
ابن لؤي
ابن غالب
ابن فهر
ابن مالك
ابن النضر
ابن كنانة
ابن خزيمة
ابن مدركة
ابن إلياس
ابن مُضر
ابن نزار
ابن معد
ابن عدنان
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ وَمَلَـٰٓئِكَتَهُۥ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى ٱلنَّبِىِّ ۚ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ صَلُّوا۟ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا۟ تَسْلِيمًا
(Sūrat al-Aḥzāb, 33:56)
Indeed Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet. O you who believe, send blessings upon him and salutations of peace.
This Qur’anic command is the foundation of Muslim devotional life. To remember the Prophet ﷺ, to speak of his life, to praise him, and to cultivate love for him is not a peripheral matter in Islam—it is a divine injunction. Celebrating the Birth of the Prophet is a profound and measured articulation of this truth.
This work is authored by Shaykh Muhammad al-ʿAlawī al-Mālikī, one of the greatest Sunni scholars of the twentieth century and a towering authority of the Sacred Law, hadith, and Prophetic devotion. A native of Mecca and heir to a distinguished scholarly lineage, Shaykh Muhammad al-ʿAlawī al-Mālikī occupied a unique station: deeply grounded in classical scholarship, yet acutely aware of modern polemics and the fractures within contemporary Muslim discourse. His voice in this book is calm, principled, and rooted in the inherited methodologies of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamāʿah.
This book is especially valuable for its balanced, evidence-based defense of what has traditionally been called the Mawlid—the communal remembrance of the life of the Prophet ﷺ, including his birth. Importantly, Shaykh al-Mālikī demonstrates that the substance of the Mawlid is not confined to a label. If the term itself troubles some, the practice may simply be understood as poetry commemorating the Prophet ﷺ, recitation of his sīrah, sending abundant ṣalawāt, and gathering in gratitude for the greatest blessing Allah bestowed upon creation. The essence, not the name, is what matters.
One of the book’s great strengths is its methodological clarity. Shaykh al-Mālikī carefully distinguishes between acts that are praiseworthy and rooted in established principles, and customary expressions of love that are permissible but not religiously obligatory. In doing so, he helps readers avoid both extremes: dismissing centuries of devotional practice outright, or attributing religious necessity to what is essentially custom.
A clear example is his discussion of standing out of respect during Mawlid gatherings. He explains that standing as an expression of love and reverence may be commendable, yet it must not be framed as a religious obligation. In this way, the book protects both devotion from excess and orthodoxy from rigidity—a balance that is increasingly rare.
The appendices further strengthen the work. Included are discussions and reflections from Ibn Taymiyyah, whose nuanced position on Mawlid is often selectively quoted but rarely presented in full, as well as contributions from Habīb ʿUmar bin Ḥafīẓ, whose words embody a living tradition of Prophetic love grounded in knowledge and spiritual refinement. These additions demonstrate that honoring the Prophet ﷺ through remembrance and celebration is not a marginal opinion, but one deeply embedded within the Sunni scholarly continuum.
On a personal note, as a Muslim of more than three decades, I find this book to be a deeply rejuvenating meditation. Mawlid gatherings—whether held on the 12th of Rabīʿ al-Awwal or at any time of the year—are not about historical certainty of a date. They are about never forgetting the Prophet ﷺ for an instant. Muslims agree by consensus that he ﷺ is the best of creation, the most beloved of Allah, and the greatest gift ever given to humanity.
At its heart, the Mawlid is art, beauty, and love—an artistic and devotional language through which communities transmit reverence, strengthen bonds between believers, and cultivate mercy among themselves. Shaykh al-Mālikī shows that such gatherings, when conducted with sound intention and knowledge, are among the most effective ways to bring Muslim communities—especially in the West—back to spiritual vitality.
This book does not coerce, condemn, or inflame. Instead, it invites reflection, understanding, and humility. For those who already participate in Mawlid, it provides clarity and grounding. For those who hesitate, it offers evidence without polemics. And for anyone who loves the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, it is a reminder that sending blessings upon him is not merely permitted—it is commanded.
May Allah grant us tawfīq to increase in love of His Beloved ﷺ, to spread mercy within our communities, and to honor the Messenger in ways that illuminate hearts rather than divide them.
اللهم صلِّ وسلِّم وبارك على سيدنا محمد
ابن عبد الله
ابن عبد المطلب
ابن هاشم
ابن عبد مناف
ابن قصي
ابن الحكيم
ابن مُرّة
ابن كعب
ابن لؤي
ابن غالب
ابن فهر
ابن مالك
ابن النضر
ابن كنانة
ابن خزيمة
ابن مدركة
ابن إلياس
ابن مُضر
ابن نزار
ابن معد
ابن عدنان
Displaying 1 of 1 review